The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a 132-month prison sentence for a Kentucky man convicted of distributing large quantities of fentanyl, rejecting his appeal that the 11-year term was unreasonable.
Davaughn Ellis West received the sentence plus four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The three-judge panel, consisting of Circuit Judges Alice Batchelder, Eric Clay, and Amul Thapar, unanimously upheld the district court's judgment in an opinion filed Jan. 13, 2026.
The case stems from a months-long drug distribution conspiracy that operated across multiple Kentucky counties between February and June 2022. According to court documents, West conspired with co-defendants Meagan Brittany Mounce and Anthony Trevell Norman to distribute oxycodone pills, methamphetamine, and fentanyl throughout the region.
West and Norman worked together to acquire methamphetamine and fentanyl from multiple drug suppliers, then provided those drugs to dealers operating in Pulaski and Madison Counties, Kentucky. Mounce served as one of the dealers in their distribution network, helping to move the illegal substances to end users.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation built its case against the conspiracy through an extensive undercover operation. From February to December 2022, the FBI utilized a cooperating source to make controlled purchases of various quantities of oxycodone, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from the defendants. These controlled buys provided crucial evidence for prosecutors to build their case against West and his co-conspirators.
The investigation revealed the scope and scale of the drug distribution operation, which moved significant quantities of dangerous substances through Kentucky communities during a period when fentanyl overdoses were reaching crisis levels nationwide. The 40-gram threshold that West exceeded carries enhanced penalties under federal drug laws due to the particularly lethal nature of fentanyl.
West's decision to plead guilty to the federal drug distribution charge likely spared him from facing additional counts or a lengthier trial process. However, his legal team apparently believed the 132-month sentence imposed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky was excessive given the circumstances of his case.
On appeal to the Sixth Circuit, West's attorneys argued that his sentence was unreasonable under federal sentencing guidelines and precedent. The specific grounds for this argument were not detailed in the available court documents, but such challenges typically focus on factors like the defendant's criminal history, role in the offense, acceptance of responsibility, and comparison to sentences in similar cases.
The Sixth Circuit panel rejected West's unreasonableness challenge, finding that the district court properly applied sentencing guidelines and considerations in imposing the 132-month term. Circuit Judge Eric Clay authored the opinion affirming the lower court's judgment.
The ruling demonstrates federal courts' continued commitment to imposing substantial sentences for high-level fentanyl distribution, particularly cases involving the 40-gram threshold that triggers enhanced penalties. Courts have increasingly recognized fentanyl's extreme potency and lethality compared to other controlled substances.
Fentanyl-related prosecutions have become a priority for federal law enforcement as the synthetic opioid has become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that just two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, making the 40-gram quantity in West's case potentially fatal to thousands of users.
The case originated in the Eastern District of Kentucky, which covers a region that has been particularly hard hit by the opioid epidemic. Federal prosecutors in Kentucky have pursued aggressive enforcement actions against fentanyl dealers as part of broader efforts to combat the crisis.
West's co-defendants Mounce and Norman faced separate proceedings in connection with the conspiracy. The status of their cases was not detailed in the available court documents, but they likely faced similar federal drug distribution charges for their roles in the operation.
The Sixth Circuit's decision is not recommended for publication, indicating it relies on well-established legal principles rather than breaking new ground in federal sentencing law. Such unpublished decisions serve as binding precedent for the parties involved but carry less weight as authority for future cases.
With his appeal unsuccessful, West will serve his 132-month federal prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release. Federal prisoners typically must serve at least 85% of their sentence before becoming eligible for release, meaning West faces approximately nine years behind bars.
The case reflects ongoing federal efforts to dismantle fentanyl distribution networks through lengthy prison sentences designed to deter others from engaging in similar criminal activity. As fentanyl continues to drive record overdose deaths nationwide, courts have generally supported prosecutors' requests for substantial sentences in such cases.